John van holland



(No Model.)

' J. VAN HOLLAND.

POCKET KNIFE.

No. 431,584. Patented July 8, 1890.

' showing the opening device closed; and Fig.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN VAN HOLLAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POCKET-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 431,584, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed June 27,1888. Serial No. 278,306. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern! Be it known that-I, JOHN VAN HOLLAND, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pocket-Knives, of which the following is a full, true, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

My invention is an improvement in that class of knives in which means are provided for facilitating the opening of the blade; and my invention consists in providing the blade with a pull capable of being seized between the thumb and finger to afford a better hold for drawing out the blade than is afforded by the blade itself and constituting a substitute for the lever action resulting Where a lever is pivoted to the blade near the pivot of the latter, as heretofore.

Figure 1 represents a perspective of the knife with the blade closed and also with the blade open, shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2, a plan view; Fig; 3, a section through the knife,

4, a'view of the opening device raised.

A represent-s, generally, the handle of the knife, in which upon the pivot E the blade C is pivoted. To the back of this blade is connected a pull, which, as shown, is in the form of a short lifter pivoted to the blade. This pull may be external to the blade; or it it may lie in a recess, as shown. In the latter case there is a spring D, which bears upon the end of the pull and serves to hold it in position when it extends outward at an angle to the blade. The pull itself is preferably provided with a nail or file mark G in the side thereof similar to the marks ordinarily found on the side of knife-blades. Its sides are roughened, forming projections that insure the retention of the pull between the thumb and forefinger, in order to pullout the blade from its position in the handle without requiring the force from the nail or an instrument ordinarily required in opening the knifeblade. Though I prefer the pivoted form of the pull shown, a lifter sliding in an opening in the blade might be substituted therefor. The spring D likewise, though advantageous, is non-essential. Sufficient friction may be applied on the pivot to hold the pull when the same is closed into the blade.

, Preferably the pull is connected to the blade near the center or at some point forward of the heel.

Without claiming, broadly, the combination,with a blade, of a lever for lifting the same, I claim 1. The combination, with the pivoted blade of a knife, of a movable pull permanently connected with said blade, located about midway of the blade and constructed substantially as described, whereby to permit the same to be retained between the thumb and forefinger for pulling open the blade, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the pivoted blade of a knife, of a pull lying when closed in a recess in the back of the blade and when raised projecting outward from the back of the blade for the purpose of being seized by the fingers, 

